Saturday, December 26, 2015

Rudranath temple was the ultimate destination. Most of the way was cloudy with shot bursts of sunlight peeping through. Reached there by 4pm (day 3).

Few shots on the way before reaching the temple. Temple is a dot in the centre of the frame below. Though we could get a clear shot only the next day (scroll down/see later)

About 100 meters downhill from the temple was a small hut where we decide to rest . We had Maggi
(instant noodles) and a cup of tea to satiate our hunger, in fact that was the only thing on the menu. What followed next was not expected- torrential rains!!

In the cold and rains we climbed up the temple to offer Aarti (Hindu prayers ritual) later that evening. The five minute climb seemed endless with the cold and torrential downpour. After the prayers caught up with the priest and his assistant, they said the idol is worshipped only for a few months in that location as it is bitterly cold and difficult to survive in winters. The idol is transported every year to another temple downhill to Gopeshwar (where we started the trek). The priest presented us two Brahma Kamal's (Lotus flowers, native to the Himalayan region).

The torrential downpour continued overnight. At night we feared the hut would give-in to the strong wind and rains. Luckily it held its own. Eventually the rains stopped next day around 8am. The sky was clear, fresh and were awed by the beauty of the place. I would like to repeat again, the views are no match for the experience on the ground.

Rudranath Temple from a distance.

View from the temple.

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Rudranath temple.

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Eventually time had come to leave this beautiful place. Few pics on the way back.

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Later in the evening we reached back to Panar Bugyal.

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A view of Alaknanda river in the centre of the frame below. Along with another river Bhagirathi, confluence of the two rivers form the mighty Ganga river (one of the largest rivers in India). A journey of 2500 KMs (1600 Miles) starts here before it meets the sea.

Climbing down to the base camp, the next day, was treacherous with loose rocks and slippery terrain. Knees and ankles could feel the pressure. The only casualty of the trip was my 3 day old pair of hiking boots with glue giving way and the boot turning into a soft pulp compared to its initial rocky stature when bought. Eventually the trip ended. An experience of a lifetime. A special word of thanks to Praveen Purohit for making this a success.